Internal combustion engine



Aug. 2, 1932,

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed June 5, 1928 A. H. KING ET AL 1,869,431

Patented Ang.. Z, M32

intatti narran srarssrarant carica ALEXANDER H. mi@ MD LE A.. RYIIDEB, @l "WEST WHITNEY AIRCRAFT COMEAW,

SSEGNUBS 'E0 TBELTPBA'ET de @@NNECTECUT @riginal application tiled Enne E, l@

w29.. Serial rThis invention relates in general to internal combustion engines and is more particularly concerned with thermostatic controls governing the operation of the same between certain ranges of combustion cylinder temperatures. lhis invention is a division `from our original application, Serial Number 283,- 081, led June 5, 1928, and is especially directed to such thermostatic devices as applicable to mixture adjustment control.

internal combustion engines have a tendency to overheat under conditions oi excess load, incorrect carhuretion due to the use of low grade :tuels or improper adjustment or :tuel proportions, incorrect spark timing and other adverse conditions. Such conditions Jrequently cause detonation, which in turn causes :further overheating, poor lubrication, loss in horsepower output and the final seizing oi` the pistons within their cylinders and the destruction of the engine.

lt is well recognized that failure oi an engine due to overheating is due to excessive temperature of the cylinder head or cylinder walls, and this excessive temperature may be caused either by high combustion temperature, deficiency of the cooling system, or a condition such as detonation, which causes a disproportionate part of the heat of combustion to be transferred to the cylinder walls.

rllhe prior art contains eorts to regulate engine temperatures by control of the cooling means, as, for example, thermostatic control ot the cooling water circulation. Such means are edective to maintain a certain minimum temperature which may be desirable for operation, but are powerless to limit the maximum temperature oi the combustion chamber or cylinder whenever the conditions of operation cause the evolution and transfer to the cylinderl walls of more heat than the cooling system is capable of absorbing.

lin order to remove the danger which might otherwise arise from excess loads, poor fue selection, improper spark timing, deficiency of the cooling system or other causes ot overheating, it is the purpose of this invention to provide a means, governed by cylinder temperature, for controlling the amount of heat supplied to the cylinder walls. lin general TFORD, CNNECTECUT, @E EARTEORB,

HETEBUNAL COMBUSTEUN 22%, Serial lilo, @$3,081. @initieel and this application lled August 3l,

any control is effective which operates to reduce the pressure and/ or temperature oi comhustion; or to prevent detonation if conditions lilrely to cause detonation are present..

Combustion temperature and pressure may be lowered and detonation, it any, reduced by partially closing the throttle, retarding the spark, enriching the fuel mixture, or by various combinations of the movements oi these three controls., lt is, this invention to provide a means, governed for by combustion cylinder temperatures, controlling, within certain bounds the setting of the fuel mixture control. This means may be operated in conjunction with or independently of the usual hand operated mixture control but the disclosure in this particular case is directed to an independent automatic control.

llt is the prime object of this invention to provide an automatic thermostatic control adapted to operate a means for enriching the mixture within the combustion chamber of an engine when the temperature ot the said engine exceeds a predetermined degree..

lt is another object of this invention to provide in our device means for adjustment to vary the point in the temperature range at which the thermostat will become effective upon the mixture control and to provide means for returning the parts to normal positions upon temperature decreases.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following specification and will loe disclosed in the accompanying drawing in which-'- rl`he gure is a view in side elevation, shown partly in section, of my device as appli to an internal combustion engine.

Having reference now in greater particularity to the drawing, it will be seen that our device is comprised as follows:

A thermostat l, preferably, though not l necessarily, comprised of two metals oi unequal coeilicients oi expansion, is so mount/ed on an internal combustion engine as to be in thermal communication therewith. Pivotally connected to the free end of the thermostat at 60, is a rod 62, screw-threadedly engaging the upper bore of a gland 61. The

therefore, an object ot ill lower end to one end of a bell crank lever 65. The lever 63 is pivotally mounted at 70 on a pin 7l held by an arm 72 secured to the carburetor 73. The other end 74 of the bell crank lever 65 is ball-shaped as at 80, and lies between two adjustable stops 66 and 67 on a mixture control needle valve rod 68. A tension spring 69 is secured, at one end, to a portion of the carburetor outlet, and at its other end to the lever 65 adjacent the said leveris outer end. This spring tends to hold the lever arm 65 in the position sho-wn in full lines and against a stop 77 limiting its upward movement under the iniluence of the spring.

From the foregoing the operation of our device is as follows:

'When the temperature of the engine rises, a portion of its waste heat is transmitted to the thermostat l, causing its free end to be depressed in the direction indicated by its position as shown in dotted lines. The gland is adjusted on the rod 62 in such a manner that the upper end of the rod 63 will not contact with the upper end of the bore 64; until the 'temperature of the engine reaches a degreeconsidered excessive or undesirable. Any further increase of temperature will then result in a depressing of the rod 63 and a consequent partial rotation or 'the bellcranlr lever 65 about its pivot against the tension of spring 69. This causes the needle valve rod 68 to be drawn outwardly from its seat and enriches the mixture to the extent required to lower the combustion pressure and engine temperature. The nuts 66 and 67 provide for a manual initial setting of the needle valves position to control the normal percentage of fuel iiow.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is* l. ln combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperture of the engine increases beyond a predetermined degree.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperature of the engine reaches a predetermined degree, said means Ibeing formed to permit of normal temperature increases without affecting said control.

8. In combination with an internal comreageer bustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperature of the engine increases beyond a predetermined degree, said means being capable of adjustment to vary the point in the engine temperature range at which said thermostat will become effective upon said control.

4e. lin combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperature of the engine increases beyond a predetermined degree, and resilient means tending to oppose the action of said thermostatD 5. lin combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperature of 'the engine reaches a predetermined degree, said means being formed to permit of normal temperature increases without affecting said control, and resilient means tending to oppose the action of said thermostat.

6B ln combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperature of the engine increases beyond a predetermined degree, said means being capable of adjustment to vary the point in the engine temperature range at which said thermostat will become eective upon said control, and resilient means tending to oppose the action of said thermostat.,

7, ln combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communicationI with said engine, a Jfuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when the temperature of the engine increases beyond a predetermined degree,and manually operated means for controlling the initial setting of said control.

8. ln combination with an internal combustion engine, a thermostat mounted in thermal communication with said engine, a fuel mixture control, and means operatively connecting said thermostat to said mixture control to actuate the latter to enrich the mixture when thel temperature of the engine increases beyond a predetermined degree,said means belng capa le of adjustment to vary the point in the engine temperature range at which said thermostat Will become effective upon said control, resilient means tending to oppose the action of said thermostat, and manually 0perated means for .controlling the initial setting of said control.

9. The method of operating an internal combustion engine to prevent it from overheating, which comprises increasing the ratio of fuel to air upon increases in engine temperature above the normal operating temperature and decreasing the ratio of fuel to air upon decreases in engine temperature above the normal operating temperature.

10. The method of controlling the temperature of an internal combustion engine which comprises the step of actuating the fuel mixture control through variations in engine temperatures to enrlch the mixture when the temperature of the engine exceeds a predetermined degree.

1n testimony whereof we have axed our signatures,

EARLE A. RYDER.

ALEXANDER H. KKNG. 

